At least 33 people were killed in storms that moved through north and central Mississippi from early Tuesday through Wednesday afternoon, but that number could rise, according to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

More than half the state reported damage and widespread power outages as several tornadoes touched down. Also, numerous injuries had been reported Thursday morning.

"This is probably an outbreak of historic significance for us,"Jeff Rent, a MEMA spokesman, said.

The most devastated areas include Smithville in Monroe County, Kemper County and Philadelphia, where a city park and homes received extensive damage.

Some of the 50 counties affected still are recovering from last year's spring tornadoes that left 16 dead in late April and early May.

In addition to the 14 deaths in Monroe County, four fatalities were reported in Clarke County, three each in Kemper and Chickasaw counties, two were killed in Jasper County, and one each in Choctaw, Lafayette, Marshall, Smith, Yazoo, Webster and Pike counties. The Pike County death occurred on Tuesday.

As some parts of the state still were experiencing storms, Gov. Haley Barbour declared a state of emergency in 39 counties and for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. By nightfall, at least 11 more counties had been affected.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost loved ones or property in these devastating spring storms," Barbour said in a statement.

At East Webster High School, 380 seventh- through 12th-grade students will have to finish out the school year taking classes in local churches. They will then relocate to Wood College next year while the campus is rebuilt, said Principal Bill Brand. A tornado hit the school in Cumberland around 3 a.m. Wednesday.

"Basically we are wiped out," Brand said. "Our softball field and softball building were the only things that weren't damaged. Other than that, we're pretty much starting over."

In Monroe County, Smithville School almost was destroyed, officials told the Monroe Journal.

"The campus is destroyed. There's no football field, no gym. There is no building on campus without damage," Principal Chad O'Brian told a reporter Wednesday.

Jerry Gibson and his Terry High baseball team were on the field practicing as a storm approached the Hinds County town.

"We ended up in the women's bathroom by the concession stand. That was about the only safe place I could think of. Luckily, it kind of went around us, so we consider ourselves fortunate," Gibson said.

Deaths reported

Kim Korthuis, a supervisor with the National Park Service at Jeff Busby Park in Choctaw County, said a 40-year-old man from Covington, La., and his daughter were camping less than 50 feet from the camp's public restrooms, a wood and brick structure that was not damaged. Their tent was sitting just off the main road through the park when the storm came through.

A 125-foot tall sweetgum tree, one of several towering over the campsite, fell onto the tent and killed the man, Korthuis said. He said the girl survived but was "obviously upset."

Covington police Capt. Jack West identified the victim as Wade Sharp, a lieutenant with the Covington Police Department.

"When the storm came, he threw himself on his daughter" to protect her, West said.

After the tree fell, the girl used her father's cell phone to call the Covington Police Department. They contacted Mississippi authorities, West said.

Sharp had been with the department for 19 years, first working patrol, then a detail with a drug-detecting dog. After serving as a shift commander, he worked a special street crimes unit. At the time of his death, he was an investigator.

"He was a hell of an investigator," West said.

Paul Maier, a volunteer at Jeff Busby Park, said he and his wife slept through the storm in a camper about 100 feet from Sharp's campsite. He said another person brought the girl to stay with him.

He said when he went back to check on the girl's father, he found the man dead.

Maier said the girl told him she was 9 years old and that she had thought her father had been struck by lightning. Maier said the way the girl described the situation, he believes her father was trying to get her up and out of the tent to safety.

"She wasn't hurt, just scared and soaking wet," Maier said.

The girl's mother and grandmother picked her up about noon Wednesday. Other campers were at the park, but no other injuries were reported.

In Webster County, Coroner Steve Wells said a man was killed about 2:30 a.m. when a tree fell on his mobile home in the Ticky Bend community between Eupora and Mathiston off U.S. 82. The victim was not immediately identified.

In Yazoo County, a road crew worker was killed while he was removing a tree from Old U.S. 49, just east of Robinette Road, said county Coroner Ricky Shivers.

Charles "Harold" Coker, 48, of Yazoo City died around 7:30 a.m. as he was cutting a large limb off a tree, Shivers said.

During the process, the tree's weight shifted and a portion separated from the tree, striking Coker in his head and killing him.

In Lafayette County, Coroner Rocky Kennedy said Charles Jones, 57, of Oxford was killed about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday when his 18-wheeler hit a tree and ran off Mississippi 30 east of Oxford.

Along the Natchez Trace Parkway in north Mississippi, crews removed trees that fell along the scenic route.

A 3-year-old Pike County girl was killed Tuesday when a tree fell on the bedroom where she was sleeping, MEMA's Rent said.

Jabriel Branch was in the same room as her parents when the tree crashed through the roof, Pike County Coroner Percy Pittman said.

Pittman said Branch's mother, 26-year-old Chaquanna Miller, and father, 37-year-old Jeremy Branch, were treated and released from an area hospital.

All three family members had to be cut out of the home because of structural damage.

In addition to the fatality in Lafayette County, emergency management director David Shaw said two people were injured when a parked 18-wheeler was overturned by the strong winds.

Shaw said the injuries were minor.

Power outages

Entergy Mississippi spokeswoman Mara Hartmann said the outages peaked at 8 a.m., when more than 38,000 customers were without power.

As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, 17,000 Entergy customers were still without power. A little more than 4,000 were in Rankin County, and around 3,100 were in Hinds County.

Additionally, more than 35,000 meters were knocked out late Tuesday and early Wednesday, said Ron Stewart, senior vice president for the Electric Power Associations of Mississippi.

"Most of those outages were reported in areas north of the I-20 corridor, Stewart added.

While Stewart said he hoped most of the power would be restored by late Wednesday night, he said some isolated areas may have to wait several days before all power is restored.

Although a tornado reportedly touched down in Hinds County for the third time since last week, the county was spared from the most significant damage associated with Wednesday's storms.

Haley Road in southern Hinds County is among the locations that appeared to be "pretty hard hit," said Lt. Jeffrey Scott of the Hinds County Sheriff's Department.

Staff writers Rod Walker, Ruth Ingram and Gary Pettus and The Associated Press contributed to this report.To comment on this story, call Dustin Barnes at (601) 360-4644 or Therese Apel at (601) 961-7236.